Without warning, we can experience an emergency that prevents us from taking care of our businesses. Personal or family illness, computer failure, natural disasters, even death, can enter our lives unexpectedly. We (or our families) may suddenly find ourselves overwhelmed with concerns and responsibilities that far exceed our ability at the moment to deal with filling orders or answering emails. A friend recently gently confronted me with the question: “What will happen with your online business if something unexpectedly happens to you?” My simple response was “My boys will figure it out!” But will they? Should they be expected to without some “just in case” planning by me? I’ve come to the conclusion that my initial answer to my friend’s question, although probably true, isn’t really what a wise business woman should expect. After writing about customer service last week, I thought it appropriate to consider some emergency planning ideas as a follow up this week. Here are some things you should consider…
Start with a list of websites and passwords. In addition to your shops, be sure to include places where you promote such as Zibbet’s Community Hub, Facebook, Twitter and your blog, as well as financial accounts including PayPal and your bank.
Make a standard “to do” list that includes routine business functions such as answering email.
Add a co-signer to your business checking account if you don’t have one already.
Keep a simple log of projects that you’re working on with other people, including contact information.
Make a list of functions that need to be performed as soon as possible in case of an emergency. This list should include contacting Admin at the venues where you sell. For your Zibbet shop, messages should be sent to support@zibbet.com. You may want to provide instructions for logging in to your shop and putting it on vacation until the crisis passes. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to close the shop. Have your back up person check for unfilled orders and include instructions for either filling those orders or refunding the buyers.
Discuss your plans with the individual(s) who will be expected to carry them out. Consider asking a trusted friend and a trusted family member to work together. Be sure they know where your lists and instructions are stored so that they can easily find what they need.
I’m hoping that our emergencies are few and far between and that an emergency business operation plan is never needed. But I encourage you to devise a plan just the same–it’s good business!
Best wishes for much success on Zibbet!
Vicki is committed to assisting her fellow Zibbeters improve their shops for successful online selling. She is the owner of five Zibbet shops: LOC Design Studio, Denim and Pearls, A Stitch and a Prayer, Black Creek Crossing and Think Like a Fish. You can follow Vicki on Twitter and through her LOC Design Studio blog.
Tags: Back Up Plan, Emergency, Emergency Business Operation Plan, In Case of an Emergency, Success on Zibbet
